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1 of 13We took both gasoline and diesel-powered versions of the upcoming 2014 Mazda 6 sedan for a spin following the 2012 Paris motor show.

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2 of 13The 2014 Mazda 6 is a great handler no matter which engine sits under the hood. The sedan whips though corners with aplomb, and steering feedback is sportier than what its competitors deliver.

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3 of 13The 2014 Mazda 6 sedan's styling is similar to that found on the Mazda 6 wagon, which debuted at the Paris motor show. We won't get the wagon, but the sedan should hit U.S. dealer lots in January 2013.

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4 of 13The redesigned interior is a vast improvement over the plasticky feel of the previous-generation Mazda 6, although wind noise was noticeable in the pre-production model we drove.

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5 of 13The 2014 Mazda 6 also boasts a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, so passengers will get a bit more rear-seat legroom.

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6 of 13The 2014 Mazda 6 sedan will get both a 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline engine and a 2.2-liter turbodiesel Skyactiv-D. That diesel won't be headed to the U.S. market -- at least not at launch.

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7 of 13A view of the new 2014 Mazda 6 sedan interior in black.

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8 of 13The new 2014 Mazda 6 sedan in white following the Paris motor show.

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9 of 13Swoopy side lines mark the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan and its Kodo design language.

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10 of 13The new 2014 Mazda 6 sedan in front of a Parisian chateau following the Paris motor show.

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11 of 13The 2014 Mazda 6 door panels reflect the higher level of design found throughout the new car.

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12 of 13The display screen on the new Mazda 6 will be familiar to anyone who's driven a CX-5 crossover.

13 of 13Next Gallery: 2013 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive review: Will this be an EV game changer?

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2014 Mazda 6 sedan drive review: Euro-spec Mazda 6 sedan ready to compete in U.S. market, but diesel model could be a knockout

October 4, 2012

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Mazda is riding a wave of success thanks to its entertaining CX-5 crossover. The brand's U.S. sales are up 9.5 percent overall, and with time-on-lot averages of under a week, CX-5s are essentially selling as fast as the company can build them.

It's the ideal time to seed the ground for an all-new 2014 Mazda 6 sedan, scheduled to appear in U.S. showrooms January 2013. The new mid-sizer gets swoopy styling and a vastly improved interior layout compared to its predecessor, but one thing it won't have is the brand's long-rumored U.S.-spec diesel engine—at least not at launch. And the Mazda 6 wagon? Fuggedaboutit.

We took a spin in the new Mazda 6 in European pre-production form following the Paris motor show, testing the sedan with both 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline engine and 2.2-liter turbodiesel Skyactiv-D I4.

Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed stick will be offered in base models), the new gas engine produces 189 hp in European trim and neatly heads off the torque-deficit complaints we have with existing Skyactiv powerplants like that in the CX-5 crossover.

As with all recent Mazda engines, the 2.5-liter is a rev-happy spinner that takes full advantage of the transmission's ratios, and the powertrain is well-matched to the new sedan's size. Euro-market fuel economy is rated about 37 mpg combined, but that number doesn't translate directly and could vary significantly by the time the U.S. EPA does its math.

Even better, though, is the diesel model that Mazda was anxious for us to drive. The Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder uses a comparatively low 14:1 compression ratio and lots of valve overlap to meet stringent emission standards.

What that means for drivers is this oil-burner revs almost like a gasoline engine. With abundant torque, it pushes the new Mazda 6 sedan along more like a well-tuned V6 than a thrifty diesel. It's damn fun, and critically for Mazda, this diesel sedan drives in a way that will feel far more familiar to U.S. buyers than the more traditional, low-revving Volkswagen TDI cars. If the company can get U.S. EPA numbers close to the European combined fuel economy of about 49 mpg, Mazda dealers will need to add staff to keep up with demand.

The new 6 gains wheelbase over the current vehicle for more rear-seat legroom, and the dash layout, which mimics that of the CX-5, is a vast improvement over the plasticky interior of the previous-gen Mazda 6. Unfortunately, excessive wind and road noise distract from the otherwise-pleasant environment—but engineers were quick to comment that the vehicles we were driving were pre-production models, still receiving refinements. We got the same assurances after driving early CX-5 models last year too, though, and interior noise on that vehicle is still an issue. As such, don't expect the new Mazda 6 to compete with Camry, or even the new 2013 Honda Accord, on acoustic refinement.

Handling is a different matter entirely, as the Mazda 6 whips through corners with aplomb. Steering feedback, behavior in transitions and braking behavior are all decidedly more sporting than what the Toyota Camry delivers, though the new 2013 Ford Fusion and even the Accord have crept closer to Zoom-Zooming in their latest iterations. Our one drivability issue centers around weight transfer on hard acceleration: Stomp on the 6 and the rear squats heavily, making hard launches a tire-squealing, loose-steering rodeo ride. The car settles quickly, but higher-rate rear springs or some additional damping would go a long way toward more composed acceleration.

As Mazda 6 program manager Hiroshi Kajiyama explained, driving pleasure “can't be put in the specs.” But 310 lb-ft of torque can—that's what Mazda's high-power Euro diesel (the one we're likely to get in the U.S.) produces. Mazda representatives are still being coy, but we're expecting an announcement this fall on North American availability.

The diesel can't get here soon enough: The 2014 Mazda 6 is a good entry in a fiercely competitive market, but Mazda needs a hook. The diesel model could be it, making a splash as the first worthy challenger to Volkswagen's U.S. mid-price diesel dominance.

MSRP

$20,990

MPG

25 / 37

Andrew Stoy
- Digital editor Andrew Stoy has spent the past 20 years wrenching on and writing about cars. He's worked everywhere from dealer service bays to the headquarters of the world's largest automakers.
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